Southern University Foundation Scholarships: A Comprehensive Guide

The Southern University System Foundation (SUSF) provides numerous scholarship opportunities to support high-achieving students across all five campuses: Southern University Agriculture and Extension Center, Southern University Baton Rouge, Southern University Law Center, Southern University New Orleans, and Southern University Shreveport. These scholarships aim to alleviate financial stress and enable students to focus on their academic pursuits.

Scholarship Opportunities Across the System

The Foundation manages a diverse array of endowed and non-endowed scholarships that promote academic excellence, leadership development, and overall student success. These scholarships are designed to recognize and reward students who demonstrate exceptional potential and commitment.

Examples of available awards include:

The Charles F. Smith Scholarship: Established in honor of Charles F. Smith, this scholarship recognizes students who demonstrate strong academic achievement and a commitment to service.
The Matthews Scholarship: Supported by the Matthews family, this scholarship assists students who show exceptional leadership ability and academic promise.
The John and Mary Johnson Family Scholarship: Funded by the Johnson family, this award supports students who exemplify perseverance, ambition, and leadership potential.

Types of Scholarships

The Southern University System Foundation offers two primary types of scholarships: endowed and non-endowed.

Endowed Scholarships

Endowed scholarships are funded through permanently invested gifts that generate annual income. This structure allows awards to be made each year while preserving the original gift, ensuring long-term impact and sustainability. The minimum donation required to establish an endowed scholarship fund is $50,000. This can be paid in full via one payment or split over a number of installments over a defined period of up to three years. Scholarship awards will not be made until the endowed fund corpus of $50,000 or more has been invested for a total of three years. Additional contributions may be made by the Donor and the Donor shall permit others to contribute to this Fund, but all such gifts shall be subject to the terms and conditions outlined in the Scholarship Agreement. If $50,000 has not been donated by the donor or others within three years, the amount raised for the endowed scholarship fund will revert to the Southern University System Foundation (SUSF) General Scholarship Fund and will be awarded based on the criteria defined for the SUSF Foundation General Scholarship Fund. Scholarship recipients are chosen by the Foundation’s Programs Committee based on criteria established by the donor in conjunction with the Foundation’s leadership team.

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Non-Endowed Scholarships

Non-endowed scholarships are supported through annual contributions and provide immediate financial assistance for the academic year. To establish a non-endowed named scholarship fund, a minimum donation of $5,000 is required. Once the scholarship is fully funded, scholarship awards can be made in increments as agreed upon by the donor. The fund must maintain a balance of no less than $2,000 at all times. Scholarship recipients are chosen by the Foundation’s Program Committee based on criteria established by the donor in conjunction with the Foundation’s management team.

General Eligibility and Financial Aid Considerations

Grants are awarded to students with significant financial need in combination with work and loans as part of an aid package. Award amounts to eligible students are based on the institution's allocation and their packaging policy.

Tuition Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS)

Louisiana's Tuition Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) is a comprehensive program of state scholarships. TOPS has four award components. The TOPS award does not cover your entire fee bill. When viewing your account summary on BANNER, please note that the TOPS award pays the full- time (12 hour) tuition amount listed on your account summary. You are responsible for paying all fees/amounts that TOPS does not pay. If you have other aid that will cover the portion of your fee bill that TOPS does NOT pay, but the aid is not posted to your account, you MUST contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships before the payment deadline.

TEACH Grant Program

Through the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007, Congress created the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program that provides grants of up to $4,000 per year to students who intend to teach in a public or private elementary or secondary school that serves students from low-income families. If, after reading all of the information on this fact sheet, you are interested in learning more about the TEACH Grant Program, you should contact the financial aid office at the college where you will be enrolled.

In exchange for receiving a TEACH Grant, you must agree to serve as a full-time teacher in a high-need field in a public or private elementary or secondary school that serves low-income students. As a recipient of a TEACH Grant, you must teach for at least four academic years within eight calendar years of completing the program of study for which you received a TEACH Grant. For each TEACH Grant-eligible program for which you received TEACH Grant funds, you must serve as a full-time teacher for a total of at least four academic years within eight calendar years after you completed or withdrew from the academic program for which you received the TEACH Grant. You must perform the teaching service as a highly-qualified teacher at a low-income school.

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IMPORTANT: If you fail to complete this service obligation, all amounts of TEACH Grants that you received will be converted to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan. Department of Education. You will be charged interest from the date the grant(s) was disbursed. Note: TEACH Grant recipients will be given a 6-month grace period prior to entering repayment if a TEACH Grant is converted to a Direct Unsubsidized Loan. Other identified teacher shortage areas as of the time you begin teaching in that field. Agreement to Serve that is available electronically on the TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve Web site. Loan, with interest accrued from the date the grant funds were disbursed.

Go Grant

SUBR will award up to the Max. Gift aid, inclusive of the Go Grant amount should not exceed $9600 for this student.

Residency: Louisiana resident as of the day the FAFSA is filed and Louisiana is the student's true and fixed domicile as reported on the FAFSA.

Application Process

Understanding the application timeline and requirements is crucial for prospective scholarship recipients.

Application Timeline for the 2026-2027 Academic Year

The scholarship application period for the 2026-2027 academic year is currently open and closes January 5. Students are encouraged to complete and submit all application materials before the deadline.

Application Requirements

Applicants must submit the following:

Current Résumé: Highlighting academic achievements, leadership roles, extracurricular involvement, and work experience.
Letters of Recommendation: Up to three letters from teachers, mentors, or employers who can speak to the applicant’s character, accomplishments, and future potential.
Academic Records:
- Southern University students: Most recent semester grades
- Transfer students: Transcript from previous institution
- High school students: High school transcript and ACT or SAT scores
Personal Statement: In 500 words or less, respond to the following prompt: "Tell us how an HBCU, such as Southern University, has made a difference in your personal or family story, and what that means to you.”

Supporting Southern University Students

Help give Southern University (SU) students the college education they deserve without the extra burden of financial stress. Consider donating to support scholarships or establishing a scholarship fund.

To establish a non-endowed named scholarship fund, a minimum donation of $5,000 is required. Once the scholarship is fully funded, scholarship awards can be made in increments as agreed upon by the donor. The fund must maintain a balance of no less than $2,000 at all times. Scholarship recipients are chosen by the Foundation’s Program Committee based on criteria established by the donor in conjunction with the Foundation’s management team.

Honor or memorialize family, friends, former professors, others or yourself and leave a legacy for students in perpetuity through a named endowed scholarship fund. The minimum donation required to establish an endowed scholarship fund is $50,000 This can be paid in full via one payment or split over a number of installments over a defined period of up to three years. Scholarship awards will not be made until the endowed fund corpus of $50,000 or more has been invested for a total of three years. Additional contributions may be made by the Donor and the Donor shall permit others to contribute to this Fund, but all such gifts shall be subject to the terms and conditions outlined in the Scholarship Agreement. If $50,000 has not been donated by the donor or others within three years, the amount raised for the endowed scholarship fund will revert to the Southern University System Foundation (SUSF) General Scholarship Fund and will be awarded based on the criteria defined for the SUSF Foundation General Scholarship Fund. Scholarship recipients are chosen by the Foundation’s Programs Committee based on criteria established by the donor in conjunction with the Foundation’s leadership team.

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